The present invention relates to an endwall shape to be used with rotating turbomachinery to reduce shock strength on transonic turbomachinery airfoils.
In rotating turbomachinery, such as the compressor and turbine stages of jet engines, flow passages are defined by airfoil surfaces and an inner endwall. During operation, shock waves occur near the inner endwall. The presence of these shock waves create pressure losses where they interact with the inner endwall. Hence, it is very desirable to reduce the shock/endwall interaction losses which occur during transonic fluid flow through the passages.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an endwall having a non-axisymmetric trough which reduces shock/endwall interaction losses.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a non-axisymmetric inner endwall trough which enables a reduction in cross passage pressure distortion to be realized.
The foregoing objects are attained by the endwall shape of the present invention.
In accordance with the present invention, an endwall shape for reducing shock strength on transonic turbomachinery airfoils forming at least one flow passage comprises a non-axisymmetric trough extending from a leading portion of the at least one flow passage to a point near a trailing edge portion of the at least one flow passage. As used herein, the term non-axisymmetric means that the trough does not solely extend in either an axial direction or a circumferential or radial direction. Rather, the trough simultaneously extends in both the axial direction and the circumferential direction.
Other details of the endwall shape of the present invention, as well as other objects and advantages attendant thereto, are set forth in the following detailed description and the accompanying drawings wherein like reference numerals depict like elements.